Geranium plant named ‘Fiston’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant named ‘Fiston’, as described and illustrated, and particularly characterized by the combined features of bright coral, round flowers, medium to large umbels on relatively short peduncles, medium green leaves with slight zonation, and medium sized, but relatively low and tight plant habit.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Pelargonium zonale.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Fiston’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of geranium,botanically known as Pelargonium zonale, and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name ‘Fiston’.

‘Fiston’ is a product of a planned breeding program which had theobjective of creating new geranium varieties with deep salmon colored,semi-double flowers, and medium sized to moderately tall plant habit.

‘Fiston’ originated from a hybridization made by the inventor AngelikaUtecht in a controlled breeding program in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain,in 1996. The female parent was an unpatented hybrid seedling, no.K91-1216-3, having uniformly salmon colored, single-type flowers, mediumgreen foliage with strong zonation, and vigorous growth. The male parentof ‘Fiston’ was the patented variety ‘Fiseye’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.11,302), which is characterized by light violet, weakly semi-doubleflowers with red eyes, relatively short peduncles, uniform greenfoliage, and medium sized plant habit.

‘Fiston’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross by Angelika Utecht in 1997, in a controlled environment inGaldar, Gran Canaria, Spain. The first act of asexual reproduction of‘Fiston’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from theinitial selection in the fall of 1997, in a controlled environment inGaldar, Gran Canaria, Spain, by, or under the supervision of, AngelikaUtecht.

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in May 1998, in Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany, andcontinuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination ofcharacteristics as herein disclosed for ‘Fiston’ are firmly fixed andare retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. Thenew cultivar reproduces true to type.

‘Fiston’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and day length. Thefollowing observations, measurements, and comparisons describe plantsgrown in Hillsheid, Germany, and in Langley, British Columbia, Canada,under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used incommercial practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of ‘Fiston’ in combination distinguish thisgeranium as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. round, bright coral colored flowers;

2. medium to large, semi-spherically shaped umbels, not very high abovethe foliage;

3. relatively large, grass-green foliage with slight zonation;

4. moderately compact growth, and medium sized, but relatively low planthabit; and

5. early to medium spring flowering response.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the mostsimilar in comparison to ‘Fiston’ are the patented variety ‘AmericanaCoral’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,934), and the related cultivar‘Fissalmrose’, (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,496).

In comparison to ‘Americana Coral’, ‘Fiston’ has a somewhat more rose,less orange hue of flower color, somewhat smaller umbels, shorterpeduncles, and more compact plant habit. In comparison to ‘Fissalmrose’,‘Fiston’ has a more intense flower color, only very weak zonation onleaves, and distinctly lower and generally more compact plant habit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘Fiston’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type. The drawing shows a flowering pot plant ina 14 cm container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.). The color values weredetermined indoors from plants developed in a greenhouse in May 2001, inHillscheid, Germany. The measurements were taken in Langley, BritishColumbia, Canada, in early July, 2001, 8 weeks after planting of rootedcuttings. The plants were growing in 8 inch containers, they had notbeen pinched.

Inflorescence:

Type.—Umbel.

Shape.—Semi-spherical.

Average diameter.—113 mm.

Average depth.—60 mm.

Peduncle length.—170 mm.

Peduncle color.—Light green, RHS 143A to RHS 144A, no anthocyanin.

Pedicel length.—28 mm.

Pedicel color.—Light green, RHS 143 C, upper end slightly reddish, RHS179 A.

Number of flowers per umbel.—About 25-35.

Corolla:

Average diameter.—50 mm.

Form.—Semi-double.

Shape.—Round outline, cup-shaped, often with a narrow gap between upperand lower petals.

Number of petals.—Average 9.4.

Number of petaloids.—1-2, narrow, colored like petals.

Shape of petals.—Obovate, base attenuate, upper end is rounded, marginis entire, or occasionally slightly serrulated at the apex.

Size of petals.—Upper petals length 24-26 mm, width 22-23 mm; lowerpetals length 23-25 mm; width 25 mm.

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).—Light coral.

Color of upper petals.—Between RHS 50 A and RHS 52 A.

Markings of upper petals.—Small pink eye, RHS 67 C.

Color of lower petals.—RHS 52 A.

Markings of lower petals.—Absent.

Color of lower surface of petals.—Mainly light red RHS 46 D, white nearbases, RHS 155 D.

Color of sepals.—Outer surface light green, RHS 143 C, near base veryweak brown RHS 179 A; inner surface light green, RHS 143 C, near base179 B.

Number of sepals.—Usually 5.

Shape of sepals.—Linear to lanceolate, acute tip, truncate base, surfacewith very short pubescence, margin entire.

Size of sepals.—11-13 mm long, 4 mm wide for the largest upper sepal,2-3 mm in width for the other sepals.

Bud (just before petals unfold):

Shape.—Elliptical.

Color (sepals).—Light green, RHS 143 C.

Color (petals).—Pink, RHS 52 B, and white, RHS 155 D, marbled.

Length.—16 mm.

Width.—10 mm.

Reproductive organs:

Androecium.—About 5 fertile anthers, filaments white, RHS 155 D,moderate pollen, orange, RHS 30 A.

Gynoecium.—One pistil, style and stigma pink, RHS 52 B, 5 to 6 lobedstigma.

Fertility/seed set.—Occasionally a few seeds are developed. Fruit:oblong, about 6 mm in diameter, with rostrum (beak), total length about42 mm. Seed: Oblong, 4-5 mm long, brown, RHS 177 B.

Spring flowering response period: In Hillscheid, Germany, in 2000 plantshad on average 1.4 flowers opened 8 weeks after planting of rootedcuttings.

Outdoor flower production: Continuously flowering, the flower count in2000 in Hillscheid, Germany, indicated about 2.3 inflorescences perplant in mid May.

Durability: Good stability of flower color, good rain resistance.

Lastingness of the individual flower: About 8 days at 18° C., about 18days for the umbel.

Pest/disease resistance/susceptibility: No observations to date.

Fragrance: None.

PLANT

Foliage:

Shape.—Kidney-shaped, with cordate base, weak to medium lobes, at thebase open.

Margin.—Bicrenated.

Texture.—Upper surface smooth, velvety.

Size of leaf.—89 mm wide, 53 mm long.

Color of upper surface.—Medium green, approximately RHS 137 C to RHS 137D.

Color of zonation.—Green, about RHS 147 A, weak may not be visible onmature leaves during the summer.

Color of lower surface.—RHS 137 D.

Petioles.—60-70 mm long, 3 mm diameter, light green in color,approximately RHS 143 C to RHS 144 C.

General appearance and form:

Stem color.—Green, RHS 144 B to RHS 144 D.

Internode length.—10-15 mm.

Branching pattern.—7.8 branches.

Size of plants.—Height 21.6 cm, width 38.4 cm, as measured from the topof the soil (base of the main stem) to the surface of the foliagecanopy, without inflorescences.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant named‘Fiston’, as described and illustrated herein.